NFL rumors: Giants not the only team linked to Notre Dame’s Marcus Freeman

Interest from NFL teams in Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman is expanding, and it is not only the New York Giants, who are tied-at-2-13 for the league-worst record, interested in the 39-year-old’s services. The Giants fired Brian Daboll after the 24-20 Week 10 loss to the Chicago Bears. While New York was the first franchise publicly connected to Freeman, the only other team currently sharing a head coaching vacancy is also monitoring him: the Tennessee Titans, according to ESPN NFL insider Jeremy Fowler. The Titans opted to move on from Brian Callahan, following the 20-10 Week 6 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders.

“Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman’s name has been heavily circulated in recent weeks,” Fowler wrote on Wednesday. “Here’s what I know. Yes, the Giants are expected to have interest in him when the carousel kicks off. But the Titans have done their research, too. And so have a few teams that will either have an opening or potentially could have one. No teams have officially requested to speak with Freeman as of the last time I checked, but if Freeman wants to at least explore the possibility of the NFL via conversations with teams, he will have opportunities to do that. Freeman will take the next few weeks to make that decision.”

While some coaches with ties to Freeman believe he will remain in college football, per Fowler, league-wide interest continues to grow.

Considering Tennessee is still rebuilding, its interest is definitely eye-catching. The team has lost 10 or more games in four straight seasons and currently sits at 3-12. Rookie quarterback Cam Ward, the No. 1 overall pick, has posted 2,866 passing yards, 13 touchdowns, seven interceptions, and endured 51 sacks. Ward’s development will likely be a major priority in the Titans’ coaching search.

Freeman has compiled a 43-12 record in four-plus seasons leading Notre Dame. He initially stepped into the role as interim head coach for the Fighting Irish’s bowl game at the end of the 2021 season after Brian Kelly departed for LSU, then took over full-time beginning in 2022. Under Freeman, Notre Dame has posted four consecutive winning seasons, finished each year ranked in the final Top 25 of both the AP and CFP polls, and reached the national championship game during the 2024 season, where it lost to Ohio State by a score of 34-23.

The 2025 season also showcased Freeman’s program stability. Notre Dame finished 10-2 and narrowly missed the College Football Playoff, despite not playing during conference championship weekend. Over the last several years, the Fighting Irish have also produced significant NFL talent, with 18 players drafted between 2022 and 2025, including Kyren Williams, Kyle Hamilton, and Joe Alt.

Although many consider Freeman a defensive-minded coach, his resume includes developing young quarterbacks at the college level. At Notre Dame, he oversaw redshirt freshman CJ Carr’s first season as a starter, during which Carr threw for 2,741 yards, 24 touchdowns, six interceptions, and posted a top-10 QBR.

Freeman has no NFL coaching experience and only limited playing time at the professional level. Drafted by the Chicago Bears in the fifth round in 2009, he spent time on practice squads with Chicago, Buffalo Bills, and Houston Texans before a heart condition forced him to medically retire in 2010. He began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Ohio State, later serving as an assistant coach at Kent State and Purdue, defensive coordinator at Cincinnati from 2017 to 2020, and Notre Dame’s defensive coordinator in 2021.

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